As parents, we have a vested interest in understanding the nuances of left and right-brain thinking. A child’s ability to learn is directly affected by the way their brain sees and processes information. Knowing if your child is an auditory, visual or kinesthetic learner will enable you to choose activities that support their learning needs, while working to develop their weaker areas. Click HERE to take our quiz and find out if your child is a VISUAL learner!

While we use both sides of our brain in almost everything we do, our right side is home to creativity and innovation. Right-brain learners (also known as visual-spatial learners) are visually-oriented, needing to see to learn. They are holistic, non-linear, conceptual thinkers that are often overwhelmed in language-heavy classrooms. Their strong spatial skills give them a keen awareness of size, space and relationships, which can lead to giftedness in math and science. But these kids may struggle in school because they have a difficult time with lecture, memorization, drills and timed testing.

Visual learners:

• Think primarily in images
• Learn best by seeing information visually
• Are conceptual, big picture thinkers
• May struggle with organization and details
• Have good long-term visual memory
• Enjoy art and other creative activities
• Like to do puzzles, Legos and three dimensional play
• May struggle in traditional education settings

Your visual learner does best in activities that are highly visual. Be sure teaching includes images, is primarily conceptual (followed by details) and includes ways to assess abilities other than testing. Encourage them to take notes, doodle to stay involved, and use color to help them remember. To help your visual learner develop much needed organization and sequencing abilities, instruction should include step-by-step processes and organizational aides.

Click HERE to find out if your child is a VISUAL learner!

For more information on how learning styles affect education outcomes and ways to help your visual learner, check out my new book, Being Visual (released September 2012).

Bette Fetter Founder and CEO of Young Rembrandts and Author of Being Visual [email protected] Follow Bette on Twitter